1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a media processing device such as a CD/DVD publisher that writes data and prints a label on media such as CD and DVD media, and relates more particularly to a media processing device that can continue writing data even when a problem occurs with the printer that prints the label, and to a drive control method for the media processing device.
2. Description of Related Art
Media processing devices such as CD/DVD publishers are used for producing media such as DVD graduation albums and CDs that are used as magazines inserts. A CD/DVD publisher first supplies blank media from a media supply unit to a media drive that writes data to the medium, and the written medium is then supplied to a printer that prints a label on the medium. The resulting media are then removed one by one from the media exit. When media are mass produced, the finished media are stored sequentially in a media stacker, and the operator removes the finished media from the media stacker as a single batch after the required number of media are finished.
If a data write error occurs in the media drive part or if a print error occurs in the printer part of a CD/DVD publisher, it is necessary to immediately abort or interrupt the data writing operation or the printing operation. The media drive or the printer must then be restored to the normal operating condition and the media that was being processed when the data write error or print error occurred must be removed in order to resume operation.
The likelihood of a print error occurring in the printer is significantly higher than the likelihood of a data write error occurring in the media drive. This is because even if there is no problem with the printer itself, depletion of consumables such as the ink or toner can result in error conditions such as defective printing or being unable to print.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2000-141700 teaches aborting or interrupting the printing operation of an inkjet printer when the ink supply is depleted until the ink supply is replenished.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2005-41025 teaches setting the remaining ink level at which the ink supply is considered nearly depleted, that is, when an ink near-end state is detected, in an image printing device to the amount of ink required to print one page of the printing paper, completing printing the page that was being printed when the ink near-end state was detected while printing, and then stopping or pausing the printing operation.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-191560 teaches to continue printing using the remaining color inks after a no-ink state is detected.
When mass-producing media such as graduation albums, the CD/DVD publisher commonly runs 24 hours a day producing the CDs, DVDS, or other media. The CD/DVD publisher is also commonly unattended at night, and if the printer runs out of ink while the system is unattended, the media production operation (including data writing and label printing) stops or pauses until the ink supply is replenished. Operation may therefore be interrupted for a long time due to a printer error such as there being no ink when the publisher is unattended. In addition, if the operator is working away from the CD/DVD publisher, the operator may not notice that the ink ran out or a printing error occurred, and operation may thus be interrupted in the same way as when the publisher is unattended.
Media production can become significantly delayed when this happens. Furthermore, if the time the CD/DVD publisher operation is stopped or paused becomes long, productivity drops significantly while wasted power consumption increases. In order to avoid running out of ink when mass producing media, it is necessary to regularly check the remaining ink level and add ink or replace the ink cartridges with new cartridges. Performing such tasks whenever is a bother, increases the ink cartridge replacement frequency, and wastes ink.